Birth Of Darkness
by Ereia Shibara
Summary: Ever wonder what happened to the Emperor before (long before) Episode I? This won't tell you, but I hope the quality of the finished story will make up for its inaccuracy (which I am fully aware of and do not care about, thank you very much).
1. Chapter One

BOD.wpd

Author's Note:This takes place some time before Episode I.Exactly how much…Don't know, don't care.I am fully aware that this may not exactly mesh with the Star Wars timeline according to a lot of the books, blah blah blah, do I look like I care?I'm just writing!

Sorry, on with the story:

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

  
  


Star Wars: Prologue

Birth of Darkness

  
  


It is a time of peace and joy in the galaxy. The Republic is at its peak, and an overwhelming majority of citizens are content. However, the Jedi are uneasy, knowing that forces of the dark side are out there somewhere. Master Yoda is certain that it is only a matter of time until they resurface and bring destruction and oppression upon the galaxy.

Meanwhile, an unknown being attempts to disrupt the balance of the Force. The young dark warrior known as Vor Rutuur seeks happiness through the revival of the Sith. With the aid of the spirit of the only Sith lady ever to exist, Nasello, his goal is to destroy two of the most well-known Jedi in the galaxy: Balsadd and Ammi Palpatine, who are currently expecting a child...

  
  


**Chapter One**

  
  


Ammi stood in front of the Jedi Council, suddenly feeling incredibly inferior. What had seemed like a monstrous threat over the past few weeks now felt like a foolish nightmare. Still, she was here. She was a Jedi, and defending the galaxy was her duty. The question was, what exactly did it need to be defended from?

She opened her mouth to speak, but her vocal organs began to tell her that speech was beyond her capabilities. She cleared her throat...

"Something to say, have you?" Yoda's voice only seemed to intensify the horror of the situation. "Tell us-" Before he could finish, Ammi staggered backwards, and it appeared that her right eye had been injured. As if being beaten by invisible fists, she continued to stumble until she at last fell to the floor. Bruises formed on her face, and she appeared be gradually losing strength. Blood flowed from several cuts, staining her clothing and dripping onto the floor. She heard a crack and realized that her jawbone was now slightly out of place.

Before Ammi had the opportunity to retaliate or even discover what was happening, however, the attack ceased. The presence was gone as suddenly as it had come, but Ammi remained motionless.

Balsadd, who had accompanied her to aid in the explanation of whatever this was, rushed toward her. "Are you all right?" he asked, more to himself than to his wife. He anxiously felt her arm for a pulse. Sweat poured down his face; this couldn't happen, not now. She was still alive, and he continued to hold onto her in the midst of the silent Council chamber. "Please be all right." 

After a several-second eternity, Ammi opened her eyes. She gasped for breath, at first unable to move due to injury, terror, and shock. Finally, slowly, she began attempting to raise herself to a sitting position.

Balsadd helped her, as she began to fall back to the floor. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes; whether they were caused by being upset about the attack on his wife or relief that she was alive, he couldn't be sure. Brushing her now-sticky hair off of her face, he asked her earnestly, "Ammi, are you all right?"

She nodded with some difficulty, then opened her mouth to speak. Spitting blood, she asked him, "Is the baby okay?"

He turned away, afraid he would vomit. Seeing Ammi's misery was almost more than he could bear. He felt her stomach and nodded. "It looks like you only had facial injuries. Can you stand up?" He offered her his hand, and noticed that hers was trembling. After helping her to her feet, he turned toward Yoda. "Master Yoda, do you-do you know what that was? I mean, what just attacked her?" He turned back toward Ammi, a mixture of concern and confusion clearly shown on his face.

Yoda merely stated, "More powerful than you have dealt with. To destroy you, it wants."

Ammi shook her head in disbelief. "You-you mean us? The Jedi?"

"No. You. You and your husband-Once your son is born. Your son it wants. To train for the dark side."

"But, is it here?" Ammi asked. "The room feels cold, but the presence seems distant...."

"Here it is not," Yoda answered her. "But, on Coruscant, soon it will be."

  
  


"You idiot!" Nasello screeched. 

Vor stopped, sighed, and rolled his eyes. "Will you quit doing that? Just because you're dead doesn't mean you have to sneak up on me like that."

Nasello's spirit materialized in front of him. Somehow that made her seem less threatening, in spite of the fact that her gaze looked as though it could effortlessly slice Vor in half. It was almost comical to see a woman so short in stature appear as intimidating as she did-until she became as angry as she was right now. "Vor Rutuur-"

"You told me to let her know that we were here. Frighten her, let her know our objective. Isn't this the kind of thing you wanted?"

Nasello sighed in utter contempt. "Not in front of the whole Jedi council, you moron. Now they're going to be looking for us-for you, actually. I've been dead for a couple hundred years, so I doubt I'll be a prime suspect...But how are we supposed to wipe out those pitiful Jedi if you keep making stupid mistakes?" She glowered menacingly at him, casually inspecting the long nails she had grown during her lifetime. She had never needed to use them, but they were as good for intimidation purposes as everything else about her.

"They'll never find us. And in spite of what you think, being alive does give me a slight advantage over you..." Nasello's image began to flicker in front of him. It took a great deal of concentration and energy to maintain such an illusion, and she could not keep it up for long periods of time. "See?"

As she began to disappear, Vor heard her utter a low, throaty growl. "In the future," she chastised him, "try to be more discreet. If you're true to the dark side, then you live in the shadows of the night, and it is the power of deception which makes us stronger. Fighting in broad daylight isn't exactly our style."

Vor nodded, slightly annoyed at having to accept her criticizism. He felt that Nasello was somewhat harsh, but they did make a good team. _For now, anyway_, he thought. _But someday, maybe I could destroy her..._ He knew, however, that such an event would be far in the future, so he turned his thoughts back to the Jedi he was after. What a cute couple.

There was something about her, though, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. _It's like we're connected_, he thought, reaching out to sense her through the Force. _Complete opposites, yet equals_. He shook his head. _We can't be equals; those fools will never know the power of the dark side. That is why they must be destroyed_. Yet he felt a slight compunction for the warning attack he had made.

It seemed almost as if she were a relative of his, but he had none. He did not know his parents, birthplace, or even exactly when he was born. For as long as he could remember he had been living as an outcast from society, with Nasello as his only true companion. 

"But all that is about to change," he said aloud to himself. He drew his lightsaber, and a dark red glow illuminated the small cave in which he lived. "The galaxy will soon be mine, and that Palpatine child will make a fine apprentice."


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Finally, some peace and quiet.Ammi had just laid the baby down for a nap when her husband walked in.Balsadd had a serious expression on his face, and Ammi knew immediately that something was wrong. "Can we talk?" he asked her as he sat down in the main room of their apartment.

A bit apprehensive, Ammi answered in the affirmative. She sat down next to her husband and asked him, "What is it?"Her concern was evident, making it difficult for him to reply.

Balsadd was uncertain of how to begin. He knew Ammi would not like this any more than he did, but there was no other choice. "Remember that...That dark presence you felt the other day in the council chamber, that..."

"You mean the one that gave me this? And this?" She indicated a black eye and scab on her lip.

"Yeah. Well, Yoda feels that it's coming here, and I have to agree. And... He also senses that it wants our son."

_My husband has clearly gone insane_. Ammi could find no other explanation. _I don't believe it_. "What do you mean? He's an infant. A two-week-old baby. And if it wants the child, why would it have attacked me when I was pregnant?"

"I don't know, Ammi. All I know is that it has to be stopped, and it's up to the Jedi to stop it."

"But what can we do? At this point we don't know anything." Ammi was bewildered by this whole discussion. "What are we supposed to do if we haven't even figured out what it is?"

Taking a deep breath, Balsadd replied, "That's the problem. Since we don't know anything about it, we have to take every precaution possible." He took a deep breath, looked into her eyes, and delivered the news. "There's no other way, Ammi. You're going to have to take him and leave Coruscant."

"You mean run away?" Ammi could hardly believe what she was hearing. "But...What do you mean there's no other way? There has to be!" She tried to make her voice sound calm, but it was impossible. "Balsadd, a Jedi does not run away. That's not our job." She took his hand in hers. "I'm every bit as capable of fighting as you are. Don't you understand? Running away is not an option!"

"Ammi." Balsadd's voice was calm but firm. "At this point, it's the only one. Normally I'd agree with you, but there comes a time when hiding is an acceptable, even preferable alternative. We can't guard him every second, after all."

"How can I do my job if I'm just supposed to hide?"

It took every bit of willpower he had for Balsadd to force himself to look into Ammi's eyes. He hated the whole situation, and couldn't bear the thought of sending her away. "I wish as much as you do that you could stay, but just think how powerful the child's Force abilities are likely to be. By keeping away from--from whatever this is, you're doing the best thing for us and for the galaxy."

Ammi nodded thoughtfully, knowing he was correct. "But for how long?"

Balsadd shrugged. "There's no telling. But I'll keep in contact with you, and you'll know the minute it's safe to come back. You just have to trust me."

It all made sense; too much sense. But Ammi knew more was at stake here than merely her family. If her son was trained in the dark side, there was no doubt that he had the power to destroy the Republic. In this rare situation, she would not be forfeiting her duty by running away, but fulfilling it.

It was soon decided that Ammi would go to Kodja, a planet so far out on the galactic rim that few people had even heard of it. It was, as far as anyone knew, habitable but completely unpopulated. That night they packed provisions for her and the baby, and informed Ammi's family that she was supposedly visiting them, in case questions were raised (but even they were not privy to her actual location). This deception would only be a last resort; if all went well, no one but the Jedi Council would even know that she was not on Coruscant.

Ammi boarded her small ship early the next morning, cradling her baby in her arms. Only she and Balsadd knew where she was going; ultimate secrecy was vital for their protection. After a tear-filled goodbye scene, Balsadd promised that they would be reunited soon. It hurt him as well, knowing it may be a long time until he saw his wife and child again.

  
  


Vor could hardly contain his excitement as his stolen vessel came out of hyperspace. At last, he was about to meet his famous adversaries.

Once he found the Palpatines, Vor would have a better idea of how to murder Ammi and kidnap the baby. The beauty of his existing plan framework, however, was that no one would end up looking for him. He could frame Balsadd for Ammi's murder and get away easily; Balsadd would be executed and he would be certain that people believed the child to be dead as well. The proof his genius lay in the almost ridiculous simplicity.

Vor's ship landed uneventfully on Coruscant, and he could not help looking forward to this mission. Since the Palpatines were so well known, he took it for granted that locating Ammi would be no trouble at all. First, however, he needed a drink.

  
  


Another special meeting of the Jedi Council had been convened with the purpose of uncovering the identity of Ammi's apparent enemy, and Balsadd had been obligated to attend. The discussion lasted far into the night, and the streets near the capital were all but deserted when he finally started on his way home.

At least, that was his originally intended destination. But when he reminded himself that he had no one to go home to, he decided there would be no point. The exhausted Jedi wandered aimlessly through the back streets, until he finally came to a seedy-looking cantina. His eyelids feeling heavy, Balsadd sat down at the door and ordered an ella beer.

"Balsadd Palpatine?"

He turned around, wondering who would address him in a place like this--or in fact, who in this particular bar, this time of night, would be sober enough to recognize him. Once he became aware of something other than the horribly bitter taste in his mouth, he noticed a fairly young man in a simple black cloak. His eyes were bright blue, like Ammi's; they were one of his most notable features due the gold eyebrow ring he wore. "Who are you?"

The stranger extended a hand politely, showing decent manners, which were in a sharp contrast to his appearance. "I'm here for diplomacy reasons. It's a very hush-hush situation, so I'd appreciate it if my presence on Coruscant was not publicly known at this point."

Balsadd nodded, feeling exhausted from the effort; he was unsure of whether the alcohol had any bearing on that or not. He shook the man's hand, not really aware of or concerned about what he had just said. Still, he made a concerted effort not to convey his lack of alertness. "What do you want?"

The man smiled, revealing a gold tooth and hideously dark gums. He sat down casually and ordered a flameout, then lowered his voice. "I really shouldn't divulge that information now, not here. I'd like to meet with you and your wife as soon as possible."

"It'll have to wait. She has…a lot to take care of right now, in addition to the baby. Maybe some other time."

The man was obviously not pleased with this news. "It really is imperative that I contact her soon. Where could I find her?"

Balsadd found this stranger to be too inquisitive for comfort. He was searching for a safe, yet not a hostile answer, when a heavy blow to the head caused the strange man to slump to the floor. An obviously intoxicated Gamorrean grunted, stepping over the now unconscious person to get to his intended target.

The Bothan who had apparently offended him tried to creep silently away from behind the now vacant chair. Before either alien could draw a blaster, Balsadd decided to save the bartender some trouble and expense. Summoning the little strength left in his body, Balsadd jumped to his feet and whipped out his lightsaber.

"Think you could stop interfering over here?" the Jedi asked, holding a glowing aqua blade half a centimeter from the Gamorrean's throat. "I'm sure whatever this guy did was a capital offense, but you're bothering innocent bystanders."

The drunken non-human grunted, backing slowly away from the weapon. Balsadd holstered his saber, yawned, and walked out of the bar, wishing he had just gone home in the first place.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Ammi had to let the ship land on autopilot, due to the fact that she was busy vomiting. Space travel had never made her sick before; this was, to say the least, bizarre. 

The problem, however, was not mere sickness. During the trip through hyperspace, her brief chances to sleep had been interrupted by the most unusual nightmares Ammi had ever experienced. Something was very wrong with this place, yet it had to be better than staying on Coruscant. 

The baby began to cry as Ammi's weak body crumpled on the floor. She sighed helplessly, summoning every last ounce of her strength to pull herself off the cold floor and attend to him. She made no effort to control the tears streaming down her face. Even for a Jedi, pain and fatigue could multiply to become formidable adversaries.

Gradually, Ammi's head began to clear. She wiped her moist eyes with the back of one hand and began singing to the infant now in her arms. _Whatever's going on at home_, she thought, _I better be able to go back soon_.

Vor groaned with the effort of opening his eyes. He blinked several times before saying aloud, "Now _that's_ a hangover." 

"You gonna be all right?" What would under normal circumstances be considered a sweet, melodious voice echoed in his far-too-sensitive ears. "Could you whisper?" His head felt on the verge of explosion. "And who the hell are you, anyway?" Unable to sit up, he settled for suspiciously eyeing the beautiful Twi'lek who stood over him.

"My name is Lita." Her flute-like voice made the ordinary words hauntingly beautiful. "You must have been pretty drunk ; last night you didn't care about wasting time with introductions."

"What?!"

She simply laughed at his disbelief, then went on. "I'm just kidding! Nothing happened. You got hit really hard by that pig-faced moron, and I brought you back here to keep you alive. You've probably got a mild concussion, it should heal fairly soon. Just relax."

"Where am I, anyway?"

Lita grinned. "Like my apartment?"

She seemed to be merely an innocent bystander who was kind enough to help, but paranoia would not allow him the luxury of believing so. "I should probably go now," he told her, hoping she would not cause him any trouble.

"I'm not sure that's—"

"I need to go!" he snarled. She seemed rather taken aback, but not frightened. Likely the woman blew it off as irritability resulting from the head injury. "I have business to take care of," he told her, taking great care not to sound on the verge of homicidal rage. "Where's my datapad?"

Lita shook her head. "It got smashed in the bar," she informed him. Noting the suspicion on his face, she added, "You can ask the bartender if you don't believe me."

Vor began to relax slightly. "No, it's fine, it's fine." No one in their right mind would dream of interfering, even if they could somehow find out his purpose. "I just need to find a certain person, and the sooner I can contact her, the better."

Lita listened to this mysterious person with fascination, but wondered just how much she could trust him; something about him made her want to. Of course, being privy to her secret life didn't seem to be a major concern of his, which certainly counted in his favor. This asset, coupled with the fact that working alone was stressful and boring, seemed to be a sign that he would make an ideal partner. Trusting her reliable instinct, she raised an eyebrow and told him, "Maybe I could help you find this chick. Why is this so important to you?"

Vor narrowed his eyes at this disturbingly unique woman, who simply flipped her lekku over her shoulder and flashed him a cocky smile in return. "Why should I tell you?"

She shrugged at him, not losing an ounce of confidence. "Just thought we might be able to help each other. I mean, I found you unconscious in a sleazy bar. You could probably benefit from having someone to watch your back, as well half the profits from my business. It's an idea."

"You think you could help me?"

"Let me put it this way. I got cash, real and counterfeit; spice; assorted weapons; various illegal substances; fake identities; you get the idea. I can be pretty helpful when you need to do stuff that doesn't exactly coincide with Republic law." She smugly planted her hands on her hips, clearly proud of herself. Vor had to admit, her claims were impressive.

He grinned back at her. Blatant defiance of laws pleased him; perhaps she was worth a chance. Her operation did have the potential to work in his favor; besides, there was something about the girl he liked. "I don't suppose you could help me with an assassination…"

Lita pensively chewed her lower lip before replying, "I'm not really experienced in that area. I've committed about three or four murders, but I'm not really into killing unless it's absolutely necessary. I've got a pretty good arsenal though, if you want to take a look. And a few rare poisons."

"Good enough for me." Vor patted the lightsaber under his cloak and nodded at her. "Let's do it."


End file.
